Pillow for babies and/or infants

ABSTRACT

A pillow for babies and/or infants includes a deformable core, which is not flat, in order to accommodate the form of the head of the baby or infant. The deformable core includes externally a three-dimensional woven layer surrounding a barrier that is impermeable to gases and liquids in order to prevent gases and liquids from reaching the interior of the core.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Spanish Patent Application No. 201431749 filed on Nov. 25, 2014, the disclosure of which including the specification, the drawings, and the claims is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This present invention relates to pillows for babies and/or infants. More specifically, the present invention also relates to ergonomic pillows for treating and/or preventing cranial deformities that may occur during the process of cranial formation and growth. The cranium undergoes growth and solidification processes from the time of birth. Full cranial capacity is reached at five years of age. Therefore, the cranium grows during the periods of nursing (babies and infants) and infancy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cranial deformations may be congenital, caused by illness, or postural. In the latter case, resting continuously on an inadequate surface produces deformation, since the brain and the cranium grow more quickly in areas where no pressure is exerted.

Various pillows are known in the state of the art which aim to exert a uniform pressure on the cranium of a baby or infant in order to prevent the formation of the said cranial deformities. These pillows are made of a deformable core, which is not flat and can be surrounded by a fixed or removable textile sleeve. The deformable core is moulded to the shape of the head of the baby or infant. It is known for the core to have, in its undeformed state, a specific area for receiving the head of the baby or infant, for example a depressed area or “valley area”.

Although the said known pillows aim to exert a uniform pressure on the head of the baby or infant, and it is easily understood that they exert a more evenly distributed pressure on the head than standard pillows, the said known pillows do not distribute the pressure in a completely uniform way, nor is it known what characteristics of form or shape the central depression must have in order to achieve the said aim.

However, the use of deformable pillows presents an inherent danger of suffocation of the baby or infant. It is known that the materials of the pillow must be capable of evacuating liquids rapidly, in order to ensure that the regurgitation products of the baby or infant do not lead to suffocation from their own drool or vomit. For example, the Japanese patent document JP2006239047A discloses a pillow in which the upper part absorbs moisture and conveys it to the lower part, which is responsible for its evacuation. Impermeable materials, or those that present a temporary barrier to the evacuation of liquids, are therefore considered to be completely contraindicated. For this reason, foam-like deformable materials with a high percentage of interior hollowness are used, as is shown in the British patent document GB1299925A, which discloses a toroidal pillow filled with air-permeable material. In the said pillow, the liquids move towards the lower portion of the pillow under the force of gravity, avoiding a tragic result.

However, recent research has shown that foam-type hollow materials also pose a new danger for the baby or infant, namely the inhalation of exhaled CO₂. This is one of the main causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, which causes the sudden death of a baby or infant.

According to studies carried out by the applicants, the existence of a hollow area within the foam core contributes to the said problem. As the baby or infant breathes, it inhales the air from the pillow, which in turn receives the exhaled CO₂, leaving less oxygen available for each successive breath, since the air in the interior of the core is not replenished at an adequate speed, so that the CO₂ level progressively increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aim of the present invention is to disclose a pillow that overcomes the aforesaid disadvantages.

In particular, the present invention discloses a pillow for babies and/or infants that comprises a deformable core in order to accommodate the form of the head of the baby or infant, the said deformable core comprising externally a three-dimensional woven layer surrounding a barrier that is impermeable to gases and liquids in order to prevent the said gases and liquids from reaching the interior of the core. Preferably, the said three-dimensional woven layer and/or impermeable barrier have a rounded shape free from flat areas with the aim of making it impossible for liquids to accumulate on the same, and therefore impossible for the baby or infant to suffocate for the said reason.

According to the present invention, the deformable core constitutes the area intended to perform the main functions of the pillow, the impermeable barrier prevents the accumulation of CO₂ gas in its interior, while the three-dimensional woven layer serves the purpose of allowing the transport of untainted air to the baby's lungs, even when it is breathing through the pillow. This also allows drool, vomit, etc., which could otherwise suffocate the baby if they were left to stagnate, to be carried far from the baby's mouth and nasal cavities.

In one embodiment of the invention, the said three-dimensional material layer has a maximum thickness equal to or less than 8 mm, preferably equal to or less than 7 mm, and a minimum thickness equal to or greater than 2 mm, preferably equal to or greater than 5 mm.

In a preferred embodiment, the said three-dimensional material layer is hollow in 90% of its internal volume, thus ensuring good permeability to air and liquids. This permeability, as well as the fact that the three-dimensional woven material is open in all dimensions, allows the pillow to have a high degree of air-permeability, even when it has an impermeable core, and thus ensures the absence of any risk of suffocation.

In particular, preferred embodiments of the present invention have a permeability according to DIN EN ISO 9237 of greater than 540 mm/s, and more preferably greater than 800 mm/s. Preferably, the said barrier impermeable to gases and liquids consists of an impermeable exterior cover that in turn surrounds a core of deformable material.

Optionally, the said barrier may be constituted by the core itself, the said core being made of an impermeable material. Preferably, the said pillow comprises a depression for receiving the head of the baby or infant, the said depression consisting of a curved and sloped area situated around an opening that is filled by a supporting area, situated at median height of the pillow, wherein the said supporting area comprises a deformable material, and so that the slope forms an angle greater than 130° with the said supporting area. Preferably, the said supporting area has a thickness of between 5 and 9 mm.

More preferably, the supporting area is flat.

Still more preferably, the pillow has an isolating element that isolates the supporting area from the rest of the pillow. Similarly preferably, the isolating element is a stitched cord.

Preferably, the pillow is formed of a core of deformable material situated inside a covering sheet made of textile material. More preferably, the core is made of a deformable material, for example, a foam material.

Still more preferably, the said textile material is a three-dimensional textile material that will additionally assist with the distribution of the pressure. The three-dimensional textile material maybe a polyester textile material.

The pillow that forms the subject of the present invention may be surrounded by a textile sleeve. In addition, the material of the textile sleeve may preferably be a porous and permeable fabric.

More preferably, the said angle between the slope and the supporting area is greater than 135°. Still more preferably, the said angle between the slope and the supporting area is equal to or greater than 140°.

Advantageously, the slope forms an angle with the supporting area in the area of the separated element of equal to or less than 150°.

Similarly advantageously, the supporting area has a circular shape and a diameter equal to or less than 50 mm.

Still more advantageously, the present invention comprises a pillow characterised in that the supporting area has a circular shape and a diameter less than 50 mm and greater than 40 mm.

Preferably, the pillow has a Shore 00 hardness of between 45 and 55.

According to an especially preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pillow has an air permeability of more than 450 mm/s, and still more preferably of 800 mm/s. Still more preferably, the pillow has an air permeability of more than 900 mm/s.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a clearer understanding, by way of explanatory but non-limitative example, some drawings are attached of an embodiment of the pillow that forms the subject of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of the pillow according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a transverse cross-section of the embodiment of FIG. 1 through the plane II-II.

FIG. 3 shows a transverse cross-section of a second preferred embodiment of the invention through the same plane II-II.

FIG. 4 shows a graph illustrating the temporal variation of CO₂ concentration in different materials, including the pillow of the present invention, wherein the X axis represents time and the Y axis represents CO₂ concentration as a percentage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. The pillow -1- has a central opening -2- which is covered at medium height by an air-permeable textile layer -21-. The pillow has a deformable core -3-, which is not flat, and is covered by a barrier -7- that is impermeable to gases and liquids. A three-dimensional fabric layer -4- surrounds the said barrier -7-, and on top of the said layer -4- is a final layer in the form of a fixed or removable sleeve made of a textile material -5-, preferably also a three-dimensional weave.

Where it passes over the opening -2-, the three-dimensional textile material has a mechanical behaviour different from the rest of the sheet -4- that covers the barrier -7- thanks to a stitched cord -6- that isolates the layer -21- where it passes over the rest of the layer -4-.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the core -3- forms a valley with rounded slopes, which form an angle -A- with the textile layer -21- that covers the opening -2-.

The membrane -21- that covers the opening -2- is made of a deformable material, for example the same three-dimensional fabric of which the layer -4- is made. This deformable material reduces the pressure on the rear portion of the baby's cranium. This is combined with an angle -A- between the slope and the textile sheet -21- that is equal to or greater than 130° for a more adequate distribution of pressure on the head.

The deformable core -3- is covered by a barrier -7- made of a sheet that is impermeable to gases and liquids. The barrier has a rounded shape in order to prevent the accumulation of liquids that could occur in flat areas. In addition, the gas-impermeable barrier prevents the accumulation of CO₂ exhaled by the baby or infant towards the interior of the pillow.

On the other hand, the layer -4- that surrounds the barrier -7- is composed of a three-dimensional structure that is hollow in at least 90% of its interior volume, making it highly porous and permeable.

Preferably, the thickness of the deformable material sheet -4- is equal to or less than 8 mm, more preferably 6 mm, and the minimum thickness of the said sheet is equal to or greater than 2 mm, more preferably 5 mm.

Preferably, the opening -2- is circular and measures less than 50 mm, more preferably between 40 mm and 50 mm.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the invention, wherein components that are equal or similar to those of the previous figure have been identified with identical numbering. In this embodiment, the impermeable barrier is formed by the core itself -43-, -43′-, where the said core is made of an impermeable material. A deformable material sheet -4- surrounds the said core. In this embodiment, the core may also be made of a foam-type material with a surface finish that is free from openings and ensures impermeability.

The structure of the pillow that forms the subject of the present invention allows the manufacture of pillows that have the ability to prevent the capture of CO₂ in their interior, and promotes the immediate evacuation of liquids from their surface, thus avoiding asphyxiation due to mechanical blockage of respiratory tracts. The said structure also makes it possible to prevent and even correct cranial malformations in babies and infants of different ages.

In order to demonstrate the effect related to CO₂, an experiment was carried out in which a gas of similar composition to that exhaled by humans is driven against different materials, including the material of the pillow that forms the subject of the present invention. The materials were subjected for one hour to an expulsion of air at a rate of 25 respirations per minute. A sensor measured the level of CO₂ accumulated in 10-minute periods in order to make a comparison between the different materials forming the subject of the experiment. FIG. 4 shows the temporal variation of CO₂ concentration in different materials, with the time axis (X) in seconds and the CO₂ axis (Y) as a percentage. As can be seen, the CO₂ concentration in the pillow of the present invention -300- is close to that of a mattress with cotton sheet -400-, which is considered to be a material with a low risk of CO₂ accumulation, and is considerably lower than that of sheepskin -200- or of a pillow made of polystyrene surrounded by a textile -100-, which cause concentration levels known to result in baby and infant deaths caused by Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

An air-permeability test was also performed for a pillow according to the present invention, with a 4 mm thickness of the three-dimensional material layer -4-. The test was performed according to DIN EN ISO 9237 “Determination of permeability of fabrics to air”, obtaining a value of 946 mm/s and 953 mm/s after ten washings.

While the invention has been described with respect to preferred examples of embodiments, these shall not be considered to be limitative of the present invention, which shall be defined by the broadest interpretation of the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. Pillow for babies and/or infants, comprising a deformable core, which is not flat, in order to accommodate the form of the head of the baby or infant, characterised in that the deformable core comprises externally a three-dimensional woven layer surrounding a barrier that is impermeable to gases and liquids in order to prevent the said gases and liquids from reaching the interior of the core.
 2. Pillow according to claim 1, characterised in that the impermeable barrier has a rounded shape free from flat areas.
 3. Pillow according to claim 1, characterised in that the said layer has a maximum thickness equal to or less than 8 mm.
 4. Pillow according to claim 1, characterised in that the said layer has a maximum thickness equal to or less than 7 mm.
 5. Pillow according to claim 1, characterised in that the said layer has a minimum thickness equal to or greater than 2 mm.
 6. Pillow according to claim 1, characterised in that the said layer has a minimum thickness equal to or greater than 5 mm.
 7. Pillow according to claim 1, characterised in that the three-dimensional material is hollow in at least 90% of its interior volume.
 8. Pillow according to claim 1, characterised in that the said barrier impermeable to gases and liquids consists of an impermeable exterior cover that in turn surrounds the core of deformable material.
 9. Pillow according to claim 1, characterised in that the said barrier impermeable to gases and liquids consists of a core of impermeable material.
 10. Pillow according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a depression for receiving the head, the said depression consisting of a curved and sloped area situated around an opening that is filled by a supporting area for the head of the baby or infant, situated at median height of the pillow, wherein the slope forms an angle greater than 135° with the said supporting area in the area of confluence between the slope and the supporting area.
 11. Pillow according to claim 10, characterised in that the said supporting area has a thickness of between 5 and 9 mm.
 12. Pillow according to claim 10, characterised in that the central supporting area is flat.
 13. Pillow according to claim 10, characterised in that it has an isolating cord that isolates the central supporting area from the rest of the pillow.
 14. Pillow according to claim 10, characterised in that the said angle between the slope and the supporting area is greater than 135° and equal to or less than 150°.
 15. Pillow according to claim 10, characterised in that the central supporting area has a circular shape and a diameter equal to or less than 50 mm.
 16. Pillow according to claim 10, characterised in that the central supporting area has a circular shape and a diameter equal to or less than 40 mm.
 17. Pillow according to claim 1, characterised in that the said layer is surrounded by a textile sleeve.
 18. Pillow according to claim 1, characterised in that it has a Shore 00 hardness of between 45 and
 55. 19. Pillow according to claim 1, characterised in that it has an air-permeability of at least 900 mm/s. 